£35.4m funding launches landmark moment for plant security and food security

A transformative national research infrastructure, involving the University of Essex is set to reshape the future of plant and crop research and innovation across the UK.

PhenomUK, announced last week, is a £35.4M, six-year project funded through the UK Research and Innovation Infrastructure Fund and led by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

It builds on the successful UK Plant and Crop Phenotyping Infrastructure Preliminary Activity and PhenomUK Technology Touching Life network, both multidisciplinary endeavours led by the University of Nottingham, and assisted by the Universities of Sheffield, Essex, Edinburgh and Manchester and Rothamsted Research.

'Innovative infrastructure' 

Professor Tracy Lawson, from the School of Life Sciences, said: “It has been exciting to be part of this process and contribute to the development of an integrated UK phenomics community.

“This innovative infrastructure will provide an unparalleled opportunity to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of plant phenotyping and delivers on the UK’s commitment to develop crops for tomorrow today.

“It will provide enhanced capabilities for all UK research scientists, including boosting our research efforts here at Essex to improve photosynthesis and crop resilience to future climate driven challenges.”

The announcement builds on Essex's reputation for plant and crop research, which has seen the launch of the Wolfson STEPS lab, ARIA funded research, and projects that could boost vital crops like maize.

'Next stage of this vital work'

Professor Pridmore, Head of the School of Computer Science at the University of Nottingham added: “I’m delighted about the funding for the next stage of this vital work.

“It’s been a long road to reach this point but both the phenomics community and the University of Nottingham have supported PhenomUK from the beginning.

“It’s great that we can now work directly to establish a true nationwide research infrastructure for plant phenomics.”

PhenomUK will accelerate the development of new plant and crop varieties securing the UK’s long term food supply by ensuring they are resilient to:

• Changing climate
• Biodiversity Loss 
• Invasive non-native species

Crop improvement programmes 

The investment will establish a national research and innovation infrastructure spanning crop growth stages from seed to field, boosting our ability to measure the performance of new varieties in realistic environments and at scale.

Invasive non-native species cost the British economy approximately £1.9 billion per year in direct impacts, with extreme weather costing UK farmers over £1 billion in arable crop income annually.

Crop improvement programmes require detailed understanding of plant development and behaviour in varied and rapidly changing growth environments.

Research enabled by PhenomUK will drive advances in national food production and reduce pesticide use.

The project aligns with the Government’s ambition to position the UK as a global leader in the plant and crop breeding market.

This will accelerate the application of precision breeding using Engineering Biology to create deployable agricultural solutions.